More than 800 looted Afghan archaeological treasures have been repatriated and delivered to the national museum after being rescued from smugglers by British police.

Several of the treasures were returning home after being plundered from the museum twenty years ago during Afghanistan's civil war.

The returning trove also included stolen items bought back on behalf of the museum by an anonymous British dealer.

The most important returns include a 2nd century Buddha statue and a series of 1st century carved Bagram ivories which were both lost from the museum in the 1990s.

The 843 artefacts were flown back on a British C-130 Hercules transport plane with the aid of the British Museum and Ministry of Defence.

Colin Crorkin, British Consul General in Kabul, said: "They show Afghanistan's other face. They remind us that the troubles of the Taliban age and the battles against the insurgency are relatively small events in the bigger picture." The artefacts were recovered in three seizures by the UK border force and separate operations by Scotland Yard's Art and Antiques Unit, Experts at the British Museum recognised they were from Afghanistan and they were kept there until they could be returned.